There are many give aways that a trained eye can detect when a person is experienced when hiring new personnel but to the untrained person it can be difficult to distinguish poor candidates from winners, especially when their credentials can be deceiving. When hiring a new employee, there are a few main concerns that when explained properly can become detectable to the average hiring manager to aid them in discerning potential candidates in the interview process. A skilled interviewer can normally “tease” out the soft skills of the candidates by the use of various questioning techniques.
One of the biggest mistakes that people make during interviews when applying for a job include the ‘white knight’ scenario such as when a person is asked to name a time when they worked well in a group and then they over glorify their own contributions. While it is not inconceivable that they had a substantial impact on the group it speaks volumes about their character in that this is the way they choose to represent themselves. Another example of an important question to ask when conducting an interview is to name a time when you had to ask for help.
It is not unlikely that questions like these will cause them to pause and really think about how to answer. It is a candidate’s natural response to try and make themselves out as best as they can and this question undoubtedly makes that difficult. Their reaction and response can give away several clues that will aid in the hiring process because it will reveal more about their personality and, their own perception of themselves , and is the best way to expose problematic flaws.
So folks there you have it, work on your soft skills. Don’t brag and blow your trumpet too much but be truthful and modest. Remember you are not candidates on the Apprentice who must annoy Alan Sugar and his team with their “everything I touch turns to sold” and “I’m not a one-trick pony, I’m not a 10-trick pony, I am a whole field of ponies………..” etc etc.
Steve Blythe (Recruitment and Social Media Commentator).
